Another lovely and hot walk through Mill Creek yesterday. The trail from north to south (and back) provided a fortune in bucolic scenery – long green grasses, wondrous smells, bubbling creek, and a raven eating a bird. I couldn’t ask for more.

26C/2:30PM (yesterday)

Happy Solstice! Sunrise: 5:04 am/Sunset: 10:07 pm – more than 17 hours of sunlight, bracketed by many minutes of twilight on either end. Not bragging or anything, but living in the north does have its advantages. It’s not all about snow.

No boiled potatoes, naked dancing ’round a monolith or a variety pack of herring today, but we did go for a long walk along the river by Fort Edmonton Park. For Maggie’s sake, we drove to the park rather than starting from the Savage Centre. It’s a very lush path. Later in summer, it’s full of saskatoons, but now, just thick greenery, with little variation on the trail. Straight and flat, for the most part. Reminded me a bit of the path between the Kinsmen and Emily Murphy Park, except that one is right on the river. I know, I’ve fallen into it (in the winter.)

It was awhile before Maggie was able to find a place to jump into the fast-running river, but once she did, as per usual she perked right up. Prior to that, a lot of false starts to the river and ensuing dirty looks from the dog along the way. In the span of five minutes, we saw a canoe, a motorboat, and another dog on other side of the river doing the same thing Maggie was doing, except this dog was swimming, and Maggie only wades. We walked as far as the Fort Edmonton Park Footbridge. In total, about an hour plus walk on a warm, but very windy day.

The skies were lovely – scuttering clouds against a cobalt blue sky.

Wind aside, it was a very summery day, for the last day of spring.

Addendum: Forgot to mention, we ran into an older couple walking their…motorized toy cars! I said, “My, those are flat, colourful dogs you have.” They laughed. Apparently they run these things along the trails all the time, and they’re probably in their 70’s! “The cars don’t pee, and I don’t have to pick up their poop.” True enough. Awesome couple. Lots of laughs.

23C

Quite a few walks and no postings. Hmm. It’s raining today, so I thought I’d pull some thoughts and (a whole lotta) photographs from last week’s wanderings. The main event was a trip out to Big Lake in St Albert last Thursday, June 12th. Wow. We went in the early evening, when the light was soft and the birds were settling in for the night. In addition to the birds, there was an abundance, a wealth really, of little white-winged insects. Not sure what they were, but the little buggers were as numerous and extroverted as mosquitoes. I’d have two or three on my fingers as I tried to snap a shot. I seem to be particularly attractive to bugs this year. The mozzies have hit me hard. I’m not a reactor, so no huge welts, but a lot of reddish bumps in between the freckles.

Back to Big Lake, I saw birds I’d never seen before, and a landscape unlike anything else in the vicinity of Edmonton. So gorgeous. I took over 200 photos and walked for about an hour. It’s a birder’s, and a walker’s, paradise. Incredible views, canals, lakes, and a particularly lovely boardwalk. Also, beavers.

And then…yesterday, we took the dog on a marathon walk through Whitemud, from Snow Valley to the river. It was probably too long for her, but several dips into the creek seemed to revive her, and she’s not stiff today. It was a great walk. Lots of mozzies and somewhat humid, but deliciously, wondrously fragrant.

It’s as if Maggie’s surgery three weeks ago to remove her various and sundry lumps (all benign) re-energized her. Maybe those fatty deposits were bothering her after all. I know they bother me (mine, not hers.) The last two walks, one on Sunday by the trail head in Westbrook, and the other one today, down the powerline to Whitemud Ravine, she has expressed no resistance at all to the hills. Could be she was just bored the last two weeks: housebound, with long stitches on her flank and under her chin. The obstinance will probably return, but in the meantime, we’ve enjoyed some very nice walks, and she’s very much enjoyed a few dips in the creek.

The path south of the bridge in Whitemud Ravine (below the powerline) is incredibly lush again, and full of mosquitoes. We’ve had a lot of rain, and there were puddles and mozzies everywhere. Maggie had a fine layer of mud on her from all the puddles so I don’t think she felt the impact of the buggery. I, on the other hand, was well and truly attacked. Worth it though. Always worth it.

20C/2:00 PM

A long, hot walk yesterday through Whitemud Creek Ravine – starting at Snow Valley and ending at the northern edge where the creek meets the North Saskatchewan River. Dogless still…until Maggie is sufficiently recovered from her surgery. She wouldn’t have been able to walk this distance anyway, but definitely parts of it, and definitely in the creek.

At the river, there were people on horses (this area is near the equestrian centre), and several folks sitting on the banks, enjoying the view. One couple were fishing. Earlier, we saw a big, dead carp in the water. If the photo had been in focus, I would have included it here. Not sure what the couple were fishing for, but hopefully not dinner. There was also a canoe on the water. Lots of activity, in other words, even in the morning.

Spotted a goldfinch at a distance, and a Common Merganser duck, so striking in his black and white feathers. What an odd name. Sounds like an auto part, or a type of plane. The entire Merganser family, including the brown-headed wife, were doing a lot of diving, so many shots of duck behinds, and only a few (blurry) full body photographs. It was not a good photography day, but it was enough to be out in the warm sunshine and lush foliage, listening to the birds, and missing the dog.

23C/10:00AM to Noon (yesterday, Tuesday)

Just getting to this post now, even though my most recent walk was on Saturday…two days ago. Starting from the Strathcona Farmer’s Market, I walked over to Mill Creek Ravine, headed south to the trestle bridge, then north to downtown. About a two hour loop, since I stopped for about a bazillion photographs.

After all the rain, I thought it would be flooded in a few areas, but no, just humid. Lots of water in the creek though, enough for all the dogs who were out for walks to jump, splash, and play in. Wet dog smell competing with springs’ unfurling scents. An absolutely beautiful morning. An explosion in green.

May is even more changeable than September. Spring (the visible part) appeared to be running late because there was so little green, and absolutely no blossoms, even mid-May. My blog posts from previous years seemed to bear this out, but then the heat happened, and the rain. As of May 31st (Saturday), we had caught up in spectacular fashion. It’s as if nature has bench marks. With the right ingredients (sun, water), it will work overtime to get where it should be. We are the beneficiaries of spring’s work ethic these last two weeks, and nowhere was this more evident than in Mill Creek Ravine.

I had heard that there would be city representatives on the Cloverdale Pedestrian Bridge, but they were the only people who weren’t on the bridge. The river valley was packed, especially on the bridge and Louise McKinney Park. In a recent article, David Staples from the Edmonton Journal suggested that the river valley is underused, and all he ever sees is joggers. He even said that the river valley was a failure. It’s a heartbreaking, and monumentally inaccurate statement. I see every kind of people. On Saturday, it was the place to be. Sunshine, river, dogs, bikers, runners, walkers, amblers, photographers, old, young. And me.

22C/9:45AM to NOON